Growing Together in the Gospel

Elijah Part 4: Dear Children, Keep Yourself From Idols

Send us your questions or feedback here [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2545356/fan_mail/new] Elijah Part 4: Dear Children, Keep Yourself From Idols Today we find ourselves in 1 Kings chapter 18 at perhaps one of the most famous confrontations that you’ll find anywhere in the Old Testament: Elijah’s showdown between him and the 450 prophets of Baal. You will recall that Elijah was commissioned by God to tell King Ahab that there would be no rain until Elijah said the word. That was three years ago. In the meantime, God has looked after Elijah, feeding him through ravens in a ravine, and then taking him to a widow who lived in the land of the Sidonians, outside of Israel. During that time, Ahab has organised an enormous but unsuccessful man-hunt to find, Elijah, because he needed Elijah to end the drought. And then, one day, Elijah just turned up and announced that he wanted to speak to Ahab because he wanted to confront Israel because it had abandoned the God of Abraham of Isaac and Jacob and followed Baal instead. The story is very dramatic; we hold our breath as we listen to the ebb and flow of the narrative that ultimately leads to the demise of the prophets of Baal as God demonstrates in the most spectacular of ways, that He is God. We sit back and we reflect on those foolish Israelites – how could they be so stupid as to abandon the God who brought them out of Egypt, who brought down the walls of Jericho and who descended in glory onto the temple that Solomon had built for Him, in full view of all the people of Jerusalem? And then we realise that this story speaks into our own lives too. Our idols may not be made of stone, but they are just as powerful and draw us away from God, our creator. Our idols, the things that we pursue above God, are maybe more subtle, but they have the same effect because they replace God and call us to serve them instead.  This is a powerful message that speaks to the problem of humanity: we want something other than God to be our god. Elijah’s confrontation with the prophets of Baal give us the chance to reflect on the extent to which we honour the first commandment in our own lives: “You shall have no gods before me.” You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@leominsterbaptistchurch] and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text. Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Elijah Part 3: We Serve a God Who Hears, Acts and Gives Back Life

Send us your questions or feedback here [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2545356/fan_mail/new] 1 Kings 17:17–24 — The Widow's Son Raised from the Dead Context: This passage follows Elijah's stay with the widow of Zarephath whose flour and oil God had miraculously sustained. What’s interesting about this whole episode is that God has sent Elijah to the land of the Sidonians – this is Jezebel’s home turf, a place where people worship Baal. It’s as if God is sending Elijah to Zaraphath to show anyone who would take time to notice, that He is Lord and that Baal is not. It’s within this context that a second crisis erupts. What Happens The widow's son falls gravely ill and stops breathing. In her anguish, she turns on Elijah — "What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?" Her grief becomes accusation. Elijah takes the boy, cries out to God with raw urgency ("Have you brought tragedy even on this widow?"), and stretches himself over the child three times, pleading for his life. God hears. The boy breathes again. Elijah carries him downstairs and the widow declares: "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth." This is not healing. This is resurrection – in the heart of enemy territory. “ I am the God who’ll bring life and fulness even to nothing.” The Message 1. Grief can turn faith into accusation. The widow's outburst is deeply human. She had been faithfully hosting Elijah, yet suffering still came. Her reaction — blaming the prophet, implying hidden guilt — shows how tragedy can destabilise even a generous faith. The text doesn't rebuke her for it. 2. Elijah brought the raw reality of human pain to God. Rather than offering theological explanations, Elijah argued with God. His prayer is almost a complaint. This is a portrait of intercession as honest struggle, not polished petition — he was troubled too. 3. God's power over death is the deepest sign of his authority. Sustaining flour and oil was remarkable. Raising the dead was another order entirely. The miracle escalates to confirm that the God of Israel holds life itself. 4. The resurrection of the son confirmed the word of God. The widow's confession at the end is the climax: she moves from hospitality to certainty. The miracle wasn't an end in itself — it authenticated the prophetic word. This pattern recurs throughout Scripture: signs serve the word, not the other way around. 5. A foreshadowing of the Gospel. The structure — a beloved son dies, a man of God intercedes, life is restored and returned to the mother — anticipates the resurrection itself. Jesus actually cites this very episode (Luke 4:26), and raises another widow's son in Nain (Luke 7), consciously echoing it. The Underlying Theme God's faithfulness doesn't exempt his people from suffering — but it meets them inside it. The widow lost her son at the very moment she was serving God's prophet. Yet that same relationship became the avenue of restoration – of resurrection. The passage holds together the darkness of unanswered questions and the reality of a God who hears, acts, and gives life back – on the Cross.  Reflection How does this story reflect into your own life? Are there things that have happened that you have never given to God? We serve a God who hears, acts and gives back life.  Our contact details are at the bottom of these details. Please call us or leave us a message through the app if you would like to speak to anyone. You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@leominsterbaptistchurch] and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text. Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Elijah Part 2: A Little is Enough

Send us your questions or feedback here [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2545356/fan_mail/new] Elijah Part 2: A Little is Enough 1 King’s 17: verses 7-15.  In the previous podcast, we saw that Elijah confronted King Ahab and was immediately called by God, to the wilderness where he was fed by ravens and drew water from a small brook. In time that brook dried up and Elijah was called away again – this time to the home of a widow. In this story, we learn about faith and provision and how we can trust God even when there is very little because, for God, ‘A little is enough.’  In sending Elijah to a widow who was at the point of despair due to the drought and famine that prevailed, we find God providing through very unlikely means. Within the context of her life, "First make me a little cake" is a huge ask, because she was being encouraged to give away her last meal by someone she barely knew. Elijah essentially asked the widow to prioritise God above her own and her son’s survival. It was in her willingness to trust Elijah that we see the story pivot. God was faithful to His word and honoured the widow’s faith. He provided for her and her family. The miracle we read about in the widow’s life is quiet and ongoing - the jar and jug simply never run out. God's provision is steady and sufficient, not showy. What the widow had, was enough.  This episode in Elijah’s story points to a God who can be trusted even when circumstances say otherwise. Whilst we are not enough, with Him in us, we have enough.  You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@leominsterbaptistchurch] and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text. Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Elijah Part 1: Humble, Dependent, Obedient

Send us your questions or feedback here [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2545356/fan_mail/new] Elijah Part 1: Humble, Dependent, Obedient Elijah is quite simply one of those awesome characters in Scripture. He’s a man of faith, commitment and obedience and he does very many powerful things in the name of the Lord. The very first thing that he did was to speak to King Ahab and Jezebel and to close up the heavens to declare that there would be neither dew nor rain for the next few years except at his word: to challenge the very power base of the northern kingdom of Israel as it was ruled by this evil king.  We think of Elijah as that amazing man. But just like us, he was someone who needed to be formed, he needed to be fashioned, and he needed to be moulded to become the person that God wanted him to be. So having made this great prophetic statement, Elijah was called to the wilderness - this may be true for us too.  Overview 1 Kings 17: 1-9 describes the beginning of Elijah’s prophetic ministry during the reign of King Ahab in northern Israel. Elijah, a Tishbite from Gilead, boldly declared to Ahab that there would be neither dew nor rain in Israel except at his word, signaling God’s judgment and asserting His sovereignty over nature. This drought challenged the worship of Baal, who was believed to control rain, highlighting the supremacy of Yahweh.  Following this confrontation, God instructed Elijah to hide by the Brook of Cherith, east of the Jordan, where he was miraculously sustained. Ravens brought him bread and meat morning and evening, and he drank from the brook. This provision demonstrated God’s care and the prophet’s obedience, even in isolation.  Eventually, the brook dried up due to the ongoing drought, and God directed Elijah to Zarephath in the region of Sidon, where a widow has been chosen to provide for him. This move foreshadowed God’s continued provision through human agents and set the stage for further miracles, including the multiplication of the widow's flour and oil and the later resurrection of her son.  Key Themes and Insights * Faith and Obedience: Elijah’s immediate compliance with God’s instructions illustrated trust in divine provision and underlined Elijah's dependence on God, in uncertain circumstances. * Divine Sovereignty: The drought and miraculous feeding underscored God’s control over nature and human affairs, contrasting with Baal worship. * God’s Provision: God provided in unexpected ways, through ravens (unclean birds) and a foreign widow showing that His care extends beyond conventional means. * Prophetic Symbolism: Elijah’s name, meaning “My God is Yahweh,” reinforces the message that God alone is the source of life and sustenance.  This passage sets the stage for Elijah’s later confrontations with Baal prophets and demonstrates the principle that God’s word and provision are reliable, even in times of scarcity. It emphasises the importance of humility, obedience, faith, and dependence on God’s guidance.  You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@leominsterbaptistchurch] and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text. Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.

Forgiven People - Forgiving People Part 3

Send us your questions or feedback here [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2545356/fan_mail/new] Forgiven People - Forgiving People Part 3 This sermon is about what it means not just to be forgiven, but to actually live as forgiven people. We believe that God forgives. But learning to live in the freedom, peace, and confidence of that forgiveness wherever we are in our spiritual journey can be a slower and deeper process. You may, for example, still be discovering the offer of the gospel for the first time. You may, on the other hand, know about the offer of forgiveness in your head but find it hard to translate that to your heart. You may have received forgiveness, yet still carry guilt, shame, or self-condemnation.  The simple but life-giving truth is that the gospel is not God saying, "try harder." It is God saying, "come as you are, and be forgiven." Jesus does not merely soothe guilty people; he deals with our guilt before God. Through him, forgiveness is proclaimed and freedom is offered. It is possible to be around grace without fully receiving it. Forgiveness can be spoken about, understood, even admired, and yet still somehow be held at arm's length. Like an unopened gift, it can be real and near but not yet enjoyed. The invitation of the gospel is not to perform, but to receive what Christ has already paid for. A large part of this message focuses on what happens when we receive forgiveness but struggle to live in agreement with it. This is often where phrases like, "I can't forgive myself," come from. That phrase usually points to something very real, but if God has forgiven us in Christ, then we do not need to keep reopening the case, rehearsing the failure, or living as though the cross was not enough. As 1 John 3:20 reminds us, "If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything." That is a steadying word. Our hearts are not the highest court. God is. And as we stand before the cross and see the love of Christ and the cost of our redemption, we are being shown again: this is enough. His grace is enough. His sacrifice is enough. We do not need to add to what Jesus has already finished. Forgiveness is meant to do more than cancel debt. It is meant to bring us home. In Christ, we are not only pardoned but welcomed and received as children of God. Grace does not simply clear our record; it begins to reshape our hearts. That does not mean there is no need for boundaries, that there are no consequences, and that there is no need for wisdom or evidence of change. But it does mean that forgiven people can begin, slowly, honestly, and sometimes painfully, to become forgiving people. Reflect on this message and locate where you are before you take your next step. Hear the offer. Receive the gift. Agree with God. Let grace go deeper because we are forgiven people—not because we got it right, but because Jesus carried what we got wrong. And now, by his grace, we learn to live in that forgiveness and extend it to others. You can see past sermons on the Leominster Baptist Church website at  Leominster Baptist Church - YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@leominsterbaptistchurch] and can contact us directly with your feedback or queries through the Contact Us link at the top of the episode description text. Leominster Baptist Church can be found on Etnam Street in Leominster, Herefordshire. To find out more about us, visit our website leobc.co.uk. If you would like to speak to someone about anything that you have heard on our podcasts please give us a call and ask for a chat.